It takes a lot to be defeated twice over, ridiculed for years and still care enough to show up for your country, the majority of which has rejected you for a national leadership role. Rahul Gandhi continues to surprise us. He simply won’t give up. He just doesn’t turn cynical and walk away.
He keeps coming back with his empathy as well as his willingness to find viable solutions to pressing issues induced by the pandemic: an economy in doldrums, a huge migrant workers’ problem that’s slowly turned into a humanitarian crisis as well as transparency of the government’s Arogya Setu app being used to map Covid positive patients. Rahul Gandhi’s comeback is all the more conspicuous against the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unwillingness to have a press conference.
Rahul is ready to talk
Rahul Gandhi is the eternal unputdownable comeback kid. He has managed to hold the attention of the media by continuously participating in the process of finding answers to the problems that Covid has thrown at India. He has had two conversations with two economists par excellence, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan and Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee. Add to this, the migrant aid pack that Sonia Gandhi offered, where the Congress party would have paid the train fare for every migrant labourer who wants to go home. This “masterstroke” has made the fiercest of critics of the Congress party applaud the Gandhis. The Gandhis are consciously and conspicuously placing themselves polar opposite to Narendra Modi. Whatever Modi is avoiding, the Gandhis are accepting and dealing squarely.
Right-wing editorials are claiming that Rahul Gandhi is trying to come off as an “intellectual”. This, for a man who till recently they caustically made fun of. But this perception is cracking because for the first time, the entire BJP PR machinery is being used to not make fun of Rahul Gandhi, but to discredit his interactions with the two economists by either calling the interaction a “repackaged Socialist snake oil” or by spinning fake news related to the guests. MoneyControl.com and News18 misquoted Abhijit Bannerjee as criticising UPA’s schemes, which the BJP had embraced. Banerjee had said no such thing.
Also read: Rahul Gandhi calls fuel price hike unfair, demands immediate rollback
Ending obsession with Modi
Then there’s Rahul Gandhi’s two press conferences (via Zoom). We got to see a visibly more calmer and zen Rahul Gandhi who is neither shaken nor stirred by the six-year-long vicious slander by the BJP or the media, which has more often than not dealt rather unfairly with him. He has significantly altered his behaviour from the Rahul of yore, who would either attack Modi with his ‘Chowkidar Chor hai’ jibe or give him a hug in Parliament and say that he loves the prime minister.
Rahul’s detachment from Modi is palpable when he urges the government to transfer direct cash to the poor, as envisaged in Congress’s NYAY scheme, by saying “Call it ‘nyay’ (justice) or call it by any other name but do it.”
Rahul, it appears, has specifically distanced himself from acts of political pettiness and his statements reflect a sense of political maturity: “We can defeat the virus if we fight it together, we lose if we fight with each other”. Even though he also unapologetically added that he does not agree with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on most things but wanted to offer “constructive suggestions”.
Gandhi’s well-directed tweets with suggestions to the government are now also being affirmed by experts.
Also read: Migrant’s fare mayhem: Congress offers to pay, BJP doesn’t, Rahul asks if ‘PM Cares’
Turning Aarogya to his advantage
While the BJP is in pathological denial of anything substantive that Rahul Gandhi or the two economists had to say, an ethical hacker had the government promptly take notice and admit to its mistake. French hacker Elliot Alderson on Twitter looked into the Aarogya Setu app and confirmed Rahul’s fear that it was nothing more than a “sophisticated surveillance system”. The app’s user agreement states that the data can be used in the future for purposes other than epidemic control if there is a legal requirement. The privacy policy of the app states that the data on the app may be shared with as many agencies as the government sees fit.
Alderson went on to confirm and tweeted to the government that “A security issue has been found in your app. The privacy of 90 million Indians is at stake.” He ended the tweet with a post script that read; “@Rahul Gandhi was right.”
Although the Modi government confirmed that there could be no security breach in the app, they thanked the ethical hacker on engaging with them. Alderson on the other hand has confirmed that some of the issues he reported were fixed in the app and that he did receive calls from the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (ICERT), both government bodies.
In fact the press note of Aarogya Setu thanked Alderson for engaging with them. “We thank the ethical hacker on engaging with us. We encourage any users who identify a vulnerability to inform us immediately.” Alderson, however, maintained that the app should “stop lying, stop denying”.
Rahul’s initial warning, as early as 12 February, foreboding the government of ignoring the contagion almost seems prophetic today. The BJP can go on to dismiss him but it’s getting harder for the party and the government to ignore Rahul in these Covid times.
The author is a political observer and writer. Views are personal.
No point in wasting your time Pappu . pappu paas hogay
Both the freelance journalists are helping the migrants by booking tickets to their homes
https://www.oneworldnews.com/journalists-helping-migrants/
Pappu is like Blackberry, keeps flopping and the ISI-Urban Naxal axis keeps funding massively & relaunching him to somehow remove Modi for full scale Hindu oppression like it happened during UPA-1 & UPA-2. The day Modi loses , arm yourself like American 2nd Amendment, because the Islamic terrorists and their Commie proxies will be out attacking temples and Hindu homes, kidnapping Hindu girls like Pakistan, while bar-dancer government will call it stray incident.
feb.18 if boarders closed there wouldn’t be virus cases in India
You people are a gang of conspirators. Yes you find a charismatic leader out of a proved idiot. We know you very you commies
Mr Mukund: When you pontificated:
“You people are a gang of conspirators. Yes you find a charismatic leader out of a proved idiot”
Were you referring to Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Yogi Adityanath, Tejaswi Surya, Jayant Sinha, Yeddyurappa, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur etc.?
You people are bloody gang of rascal conspirators. Yes you find a charismatic leader out of a proved idiot. We know you very you commies
I request to rahul gandhi please stop giving your advice to MODI government, people have seen what you did from 2004 to 2013 & how much advice you have given to your own government, if you really wants to help poor people returned the money your government looted of this country for so many years in power into PM CARES so it goes to poor people in your name’s. We will advice PM MODI to give your name for that charity.
What Modi has done for India. He is been criticized all over the world for divide n rule with Muslims of India.He has filled his pocket n let go all cheaters from India. Now if Rahul Ghandhi is showing enthusiasm for the country even after his defeat give him a chance as a Congress leader. I think we must change the ruling party.
Somebody must be their ,who screw RAGAs happiness, he grown up but still look like bloody diaper baby boy, the whole congress has lost it by putting RGon frontline, he has very hard and bad credential as a leader of congress party, in short he is a funny joker of political circus, becoming with novel laureates to jump n pump over economy of country during pandemic , RG and his group made congress party to worst in politics of india,
If people cud become super intellectual s by simply asking questions , the roads wud not be full of idiots.
Why he ran away from congress president ship
RAHUL COME BACK MOOD? He is always a Frontline Fighter, From Ache Din to now Bure Din. 2 crore Jobs to today’s No Jobs.
And when he speaks/creticises, BJP team becomes horrible & horrified and start back firing as if he is the PM.
And one more thing BJP will make him PM. That’s sure.
Whatever way mother Sonia tries to son Papu, he will always remain as Papu for India. Mother should instead arrange for his marriage early. Atleast people will try to see him serious in family life and not playing computer games.
Listening to this idiot n his ideas always make for a great laugh.. somebody call the circus.. we found their missing clown.. Mr Gandhi get your shit away from Indian politics.. and get back to your day job in the circus
Rahul Gandhi is an oracle. His prophetic words about the app came true. Agree 100% with zainab. Ji.
Inspite of being rejected by crores of indian, its his love for the poor which makes him to keep coming back.
Instead of recognising his genuinely caring nature, the sanghi bigots called him pappu, buddhi and many other names. Shows their sanskars.
He is aggressively participating in press conferences, even more than PM.
Even CPI(M) Party daily paper inside provincial Kerala ( DESHABHIMAANI ) have been calling Rahul Gandhi as PAPPU. Guess, Samna was also addressing Rahul Gandhi as PAPPU till October 2019. Having said this Rahul Gandhi gives a Childish Impression, due to his frequent foreign solo sojourns away from India / relinquishing Congress (I) Top position just because of lossing a general election / too much of dependency in family coterie advisor’s / Too much of Hype being created on his perceived untested administrative abilities which had not even entered nursery class . There are dime a dozen more inspiring leaders for Pan Indian role in Congress(I) like having more grass roots connect like Capt. Amarinder Singh / Sachin Pilot / Milind Deora / Jairam Ramesh / Kamalnath etc.
LMAO he is so much in love with poor he is sitting at home doing video conference with a kicked out ex-RBI governor and asking him questions on Covid vaccine and treament. RSS is feeding poor in every village with 6 million swayamsevaks everyday. Pappu’s IQ makes me smile on gloomy days.
Oh. What all things you were involved in Shekhar Gupta. A lot is comung out now.
The Greater Viruses after Coronavirus are Italian
Gandhis and their Cronies
Like Sibal Khurshid Surjewala
His only Aim, how can he
Be PM like Aurangzeb who
Imprisoned his father, Shah Jehan.
He is Not worth discussing
He or Congress can’t do any positive contribution in this tough time. He is just trying to use some of the government’s plans to gain political benefits. For example, GoI has already announced direct transfer to many people of India and also started executing it, he is talking about NYAY scheme.
Again the print shows that they and shekhar gupta is a completely biased person and please someone tell him that while writing an article you don’t write your congresss and left leaning views you write people viewsSHEKAR GUPTA ARE U AWARE OF THE FACT THAT WHILE YOU ARR WRITING THIS CRAP, RAHUL BABA AND HIS MOTHERS PROPERTY IS BEING SEIZED BY INDIAN GOVT AS THEY HAVE LOOTED THE WEALTH OF INDIAN PEOPLE.NO MATTER HOU MUCH BIASED JOURNAL WRITERS LIKE YOU WANT TO SEE RAHULHE IS NOT CONSIDERED RELEVANT.
Rahul Gandhi is the luckiest person in the world. I don’t think anyone will get this much chances in the entire world.
Out of all the comments it was so refreshing when an educated person like Rey put his thoughts so well ,unfortunately many of them seems to be blind bhakts who just doesnt want to see beyond BJP vs Congress or Hindu vs Muslim fights.sad but true
And BJP is celebrating.
I appreciate the dogged determination and indomitable spirit of the author amply demonstrating her bootlicking loyalty to the clown.
Mr Somashekar:
I appreciate the dogged determination and indomitable spirit of the commenter amply demonstrating his bootlicking loyalty to saffron clowns.
Thank you, God, that Rahul Gandhi is back from his meditation tour of Eastern Europe.
We were missing the contributions of one of the great minds of our time.
Yes, looks like RG has finally got over his Modi fixation. For the last one decade his only political activity was to blame Modi often with lies and rank stupidity and flying away soon after. It was really surprising that neither he nor his mostly US educated advisers failed to see such obsession with Modi and abuses, often baseless, had no traction with masses. Modi steadily gained popularity while RG went down the ladder. Hopefully he will stick to his present realisations. As regards his discussions with prominent economists seeking solutions to India’s problem, let us accept that what these two renowned economist offered is what every other economist has been suggesting over the last century since Keynes propounded his theory. There was neither anything new or outstanding about it.
This article is a classic example of how abyssmal paid media journalists could become. The journalist is so desperate to justify and project this comic character’s last couple of staged dramas as comeback that he conviniently overlooked the fact that those were the scripted dramas played out mediocrely by this comedian fakely named Rahul Gandhi. Does this character from POGO channel has even pinch of intellect, maturity, vision and leadership skill ….the answer is no. Wherein we all can understand the motives and financial gains these so called journalists get by writing this kind of utter nonsense article what confuses me is what is the need of people like Mr Rajan and Banarjee to be shown associated with this comic character will this not certainly dent their image in the public at large or is this the payback time for them? Yes the question needs to be answered
There is value addition for Sri Rahul G.
From the company of Digvijay Singh his advisers are these two great Economists.
But at the same time, poor Raghu Rajan and Abhijeet Banerjee must be a tough downward trend to be his advisers.
This article is a classic example of how abyssmal paid media journalists could become. The journalist is so desperate to justify and project this comic character’s last couple of staged dramas as comeback that he conviniently overlooked the fact that those were the scripted dramas played out mediocrely by this comedian fakely named Rahul Gandhi. Does this character from POGO channel has even pinch of intellect, maturity, vision and leadership skill ….the answer is no. Wherein we all can understand the motives and financial gains these so called journalists get by writing this kind of utter nonsense article what confuses me is what is the need of people like Mr Rajan and Banarjee to be shown associated with this comic character will this not certainly dent their image in the public at large or is this the payback time for them? Yes the question needs to be answered
When for Shramic trains no tickets are issued by IR the question of Congress purchasing tickets needs to be probed. The ‘family first’ party can never do anything good to the Nation. Further is it not a joke a guy who does not understand simple aspects discussing Economy with questionable economists? I think better to start again from nursery. As for Media, if you can’t support a Man who thinks only about Bharatmata atleast shutup and believe me you will be offering the Great Service to the Nation. By serving dubious family you are really doing disservice to our Motherland
My suggestion would be that Pappu should first become CM of a State and prove himself. Just take this as an example, all he did is talk to few of his own followers on Zoom and some people are writing about giving him a chance ? Why ? The way these economists write and talk, you can hardly call them independent. Its clearly visible they have a desire to become next Manmohan Singh.
Another thing, I really really hope, Rahul listens to all kind of voices and doesn’t listen to only one kind of voice like his ancestors did. Both India and Singapore became independent around same time. PM Nehru and PM Lee Kuan Yew both were friends but look where Singapore and where India is.
Its true India is much bigger and complex. But that doesn’t mean, India cannot learn from a legend who is admired around the world.
My suggestion to Rahul Gandhi. Read about 4 people :
1. Pandit Nehru & Lee Kuan Yew
2. Indra Gandhi & Modi.
While they have similarities but we need to focus on how they differ too.
Have desire to learn and improve which i m afraid Rahul Gandhi lacks. Even after staying in politics for more than a decade, he doesn’t seem to have learned anything.
Welcome back RG. I was worried that I will loose the much needed entertainment during lock down. thank god.. you are back..
Sikander sahiba, I am disappointed in you. Surely you could have puffed up your pyara pappu into a genuine statesman, destined to Make India Secular Again (MISA), rather that just a talk show host to Amreekan economists? Try harder next time. Incidentally I have had the privilege of seeing Shri Rahul Gandhi ji close-up in a small group and the man did NOT impress me. Sorry.
Pappu Raul Vinchi is day dreamer. A poor fellow having No intrinsic value. Man having No knowledge about anything about India, like it’s spirituality, heritage, historical etc. and even his area of politics. His birth is by chance to dum mother imported to India. Poor fellow fit for Nothing
Raul Vinchi is visionless, and poor fellow existing only on the names of ancestors, and born by chance to dump mother imported to India. He is a clear liability for this country. He is a example of spreading negativity, and knowing nothing about India’s rich heritage, cultural, spirituality or even his area of politics.
Are you serious on a joke called Rahul Gandhi… You fall for him and get married to him… That’s the best thing that can happen to you and him.
Rahul gandhi is the only chance shekhar gupta and team has!!..what a bad choice…Get behind some learned guy from congress!!..I liked you before but now you are just a sychophant.
Rahul Gandhi is trying to deviate from the main topic. What India needs is a Hindu rashtra. Learn from modiji let me ask can Rahul Gandhi ever bring demonetisation? Can he build a statue with 3000 crores. Instead he says build hospital for poor with that money. Stupid fellow. Modiji says beat the plate light the lamp etc can Rahul do that.
What if BJP government do not give gst collected due for their state India is growing.
Can Rahul increase the price of petrol when global prices reached rock bottom.
India is the country that pays highest tax for fuel. Thanks to modiji.
Religious tolerance is highest in India thanks to modiji.
You almost had me bro. yes! well analyzed!
Modi is indeed tolerantly building the fabulous Hindurashtra, where the poor will be slave, women know their place, dalits will savour the “adhyatmik sukh” of cleaning gutters and free planes will be organized for rich people’s dogs. Rahul is a backward looking conservative who wants to bring back those bad old days when GDP was growing at 10% without compromising labour laws.
Rahul Gandhi is trying to deviate from the main topic. What India needs is a Hindu rashtra. Learn from modiji let me ask can Rahul Gandhi ever bring demonetisation? Can he build a statue with 3000 crores. Instead he says build hospital for poor with that money. Stupid fellow. Modiji says beat the plate light the lamp etc can Rahul do that.
What if BJP government do not give gst collected due for their state India is growing.
Can Rahul increase the price of petrol when global prices reached rock bottom.
India is the country that pays highest tax for fuel. Thanks to modiji.
Religious tolerance is highest in India thanks to modiji.
While our Joseph will use the money collected by Congress states from Centre to convert more poor people for Yeshu and stage a drama where devil will be cured by Unholy water…O Praise the Vatican and the child abusing Bishops and Cardinals.
well articulated I think Rahul deserve some these kind of analysis , issue is –
10 करोड़ मेम्एबर वाली पार्टी , साइबर सेल , प्रवक्ताओं की लम्बी कतार इन सब पर भारी , ………..एक अदद पप्पू -…. लानत है नरेन्द्र , डूब मरो अमित
Ms. Zainab, looks like you are in love with RaGa. Go ahead and propose him but kindly spare us the horror by taking this article cum love letter down from the internet.
Writer sounds like PAPPU KA PILLA!
Slaves of dynasty is appropriate word for this writer. Jai Ho!
Why this author is comparing Rahu Gandhi with PM. Rahul is a jobless politician and he can talk anything, which has no value amongst indian people. As about the world famous economist wth whom he had Interaction on econonomy, they are also free now with whole world is inder lockdown. So forget what Rahul talks.
This man is not worth any comment.
RAHUL GANDHI IS A DEDICATED POLIITICIAN AND HE LOVES THE PEOPLE OF INDIA. HIS FAMILLY BACKGROUND IS VERY HIGH THEY ALSO SACRIFICED THEIR LIFE FOR US . MADAM INDIRA GANDHI , RAJIV GANDHI HAS DIED FOR THE NATION. …BESIDES MODI HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING FOR THE COUNTRY SIMPLY HE IS A NEWS CHANNEL ACTOR ? I UNDERSTAND NOW , MODI IS SPEAKING LIES AND MAKING FOOL . JUST HE ATTRACTING PEOPLE BY HINDUTVA ? PEOPLE THINK HE IS REAL HINDU THAT IS WHY WE WILL CAST OUR VOTE . NOW MY COUNTRY IS SUFFERING BECAUSE OF MODI GOVT. ..AND THE BLIND SUPPORTER . MANY GANDHI FAMILLY MEMBERS DIED FOR INDIA ? BUT WE FORGET IT VERY SOON. NOW COUNTRY RUNNING BY THE USELESS PEOPLE THOSE WHO ARE NOT DONE ANYTHING FOR INDIA ? IT IS BIG JOKE NOW….WE WILL LOST EVERYTHING WHAT WE GAIN IN LAST 50 YEARS…WE WILL BE POOR COUNTRY IN WORLD VERY SOON IF MODI REMAIN AS A PM FOR ANOTHER FEW YEARS.
Can I help it if stupid politicians ignore terrorists right under their nose? Who told Indiraji and Rajivji to embrace terrorists?
Rahul’s interactions were a flop show. If anything they only further solidified that Mr. Pappu is a no-contest against Modi. These kinds of interactions are for journalists and college debates. But Rahul’s presence made them political and washed away any credible advice of Mr Rajan and Mr Bannerjee. In contrast, Sonia scored with her pay for migrants jab at the center.
May God save us from this apocalypse.
Bullshit piece from a bullshit newsportal. Starting calling him as Pappu PM. All his publicity stunts will give happiness to his chamchas, leftists, sickulars
Your media house is paid by Congress. I have read many of your articles and all of them are either defaming modi or praising Rahul.
2024 mei nahi aayega congress.
I wonder who are we to comment. How much are we doing for our village or cities we are living in. Ironically we don’t even know we don’t choose neither PM or CM. We elect MP n MLA n they without our consent choose the so called PM n CM. One should see the individual whom they voted for n who is becoming or made Papu…
I practice NOTA for the record. So let’s fix things locally
Well, the media never stops in trying to showcase RaGa sometimes as mature, serene, zen like, etc but truth cannot be hidden and pappu can’t become suddenly intellectual.
Just unable to appreciate why Rahul has opted for pure Economist brains such as Raghuram Rajan and Abijith Banejee.
Rahul should have been politically wise by brain-storming on revival of Indian Economy with the likes of Manmohan, Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh, Sachin Pilot, Ashok Helot, Sharad Pawar. Their views could have been more pragmatic………. Don’t know when Rahul is going to come out of the bizzare trial and error approaches and responses….